The Kentucky Derby is a horse race that takes place in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s held on the first Saturday of May each year and is one of three races considered to be part of the Triple Crown. The other two are the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. The race was founded by Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition. He wanted to generate tourism in his city, which he did successfully with this event, drawing people from all over North America for years before it became nationally televised in 1975. There have been some changes made over time such as starting times, but none so drastic as when Churchill Downs switched from dirt tracks to synthetic surfaces in 2007
What time Kentucky derby 2016
The 2016 Kentucky Derby is the 142nd running of Kentucky Derby. The race will be running at 6:51 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on May 7, 2016, at Churchill Downs.
How to watch it
The Kentucky Derby is being aired live on NBC, the NBC Sports Network, and locally on WHAS-TV.
Why do people wear big hats and fancy clothes for this event
People wear fancy clothes and hats at the Kentucky Derby to see the horses as they parade around before the race, and they also want to stake out their favorite viewing spots. A lot of people also dress up because it’s just fun.
The history of horse racing in America
Horse racing in the United States dates back to 1665, which saw the establishment of the Newmarket course in Salisbury, New York, a section of what is now known as the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York. This first racing meet in North America was supervised by New York’s colonial governor, Richard Nicolls.
The area is now occupied by the present Nassau County, New York, region of Greater Westbury and East Garden City. Horse racing remains a popular sport throughout the United States.
Who takes place in the derby
The race is open to three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. There are other restrictions on which horses can compete for the Kentucky Derby, but one of the main ones is that all entries must be nominated by their owners. It costs $500 for an owner to enter a horse in the derby.
A list of some horses to keep an eye on during this year’s race
American Pharoah-American Pharoah was born on February 2, 2015. His sire is Pioneer of the Nile and the dam is Littleprincessequal. American Pharoah is a dark bay Thoroughbred horse standing 16.1 hands high with a white blaze face which he inherited from his sire Pioneer of the Nile. He has notably large ears that further distinguish him from other horses.
Dortmund horse-Dortmund (foaled 7 February 2012) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2014, he was undefeated in three races and established himself as one of the best juveniles in California with a win in the Los Alamitos Futurity. In the early part of 2015, he moved into contention for the American Triple Crown races with wins in the Robert B.Lewis Stakes, San Felipe Stakes, and Santa Anita Derby.
Hoppertunity-Hoppertunity was born on the 4th of June, 2012. This Thoroughbred horse stands at 16 hands high and is bred by Louis J. deLuca. He has a brown coat with white racing stripes. As a two-year-old, he won the 2013 Holy Bull Stakes and went on to win the 2014 Arkansas Derby before his season was cut short due to injury. Hoppertunity was also named champion two-year-old colt for 2013 by the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings. Hoppertunity shares his name with the nickname of the racehorse Secretariat.
Conclusion
The Kentucky Derby is a horse race that takes place in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s held on the first Saturday of May each year and is one of three races considered to be part of the Triple Crown. The other two are the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Horse racing remains a popular sport throughout America with many people dressing up for this event and wearing big hats and fancy clothes while they watch the horses parade around before running their race. There have been some changes made over time but none so drastic as when Churchill Downs switched from dirt tracks to synthetic surfaces in 2007.
